A couple of things jumped out at me from the latest email newsletter from Henry Eckert. (For those who are not familiar, Henry Eckert Fine Tools Australia are the resellers of Lie Nielsen handplanes and the like, and anyone who has been to a woodshow in Australia has either drooled over the collection of planes on offer, or avoided the stand like the plague knowing their wallet would otherwise explode with excitement!)

One is the latest offering from Lost Art Press (and the remarkable Chris Schwarz): Campaign Furniture. As Chris writes:

For almost 200 years, simple and sturdy pieces of campaign furniture were used by people all over the globe, and yet this remarkable furniture style is now almost unknown to most woodworkers and furniture designers.

“Campaign Furniture” seeks to restore this style to its proper place by introducing woodworkers to the simple lines, robust joinery and ingenious hardware that characterize campaign pieces. With more than 400 photos and drawings to explain the foundations of the style, the book provides plans for nine piece of classic campaign furniture, from the classic stackable chests of drawers to folding Roorkee chairs and collapsible bookcases.

In addition to all that, “Campaign Furniture” contains the first English-language translation of A.J.-Roubo’s 18th-century text on campaign pieces, plus original drawings of dozens of pieces of British campaign furniture culled from original copies of the Army & Navy stores catalogs.

Like all Lost Art Press books, “Campaign Furniture” is produced entirely in the United States. The book is in a 6” x 9” format and hardbound. The interior is full color and printed on paper that is heavy and coated with a matte finish for readability. The interior signatures are sewn for long-term durability.

The other is a tool care package with Camellia Oil, Tool Polish, and cloths etc to apply, and containers to store. While Silbergleit (Silver Glide) is great on cast iron tools, I hear Camellia oil is also exceptional, penetrating the surface microfissures to really protect against rust/corrosion.

Like “new car smell”, fresh “cast iron gleam” is both very impressive, and equally fleeting (if not a lot faster!), and although Silbergleit protects and lubricates, it is Camellia oil that places like Carbatec turn to, to keep the shop floor tools in new (and cast-iron fresh) condition.

One Response

Hi Stu,
I live in Geraldton WA only 100 metres from the beach and rust is a constant enemy.
I have tried Camellia Oil on my tablesaw, bandsaw, planes and chisels to prevent them rusting.
My results are not that good, unless you keep your tools dripping wet they will still rust as the Camellia Oil dries out, it doesn’t help that my workshop regularly heats up to 45 degrees C during the summer.
I would rate this product 6 out of 10.
Chris